Reynolds Family Blog

Eighteen months ago TODAY, we received the sweetest little bundle of joy...a giggling 9-year-old who has blossomed into a beautiful, but sassy, American girl. She listens to current hit songs on her iPod, texts her friends, watches typical television fare, rides her bike, has crushes on boys, plays basketball and softball, dances, sings, complains about homework and chores, bickers with her brother, joins forces with her brother to gang up on Mom and Dad, sweetly hugs us (but still no kisses) each night, and is a social butterfly who loves to laugh and make other people laugh. She has expanded her dietary choices, but still prefers soup. She's ornery and gives us a run for our money, but she is so worth it. God truly blessed us when he made us a family.

Some quick updates:

• Shaling & Preston are now the same height (roughly 56 inches) and weight (73 pounds), despite her having been a full  head shorter than him in January 2011. American dairy does wonders.
• Shaling just wrapped up her softball season last night. She's becoming a decent pitcher and is quite fun to watch behind the plate as well. She nearly threw out a runner at 3rd base last night.
• Both kids just spent the weekend with my parents and they all headed up north to stay with Uncle Scott for a couple of nights. He spoiled them rotten by taking them to play miniature golf, play in an arcade, and spend a day at a large water park. They were both still chatting about it when Brock and I got home from a separate trip two days later. Grandma & Grandpa spoiled them rotten with some shopping.
• Shaling enjoyed 3 different morning camps this month - basketball, softball, and golf.
• We conducted 2 fundraisers this month -- trivia night/silent auction nights (one for a local family in the process of adopting a 3-year-old girl in need of serious cardiac care and one for a local youth battling a brain tumor) and held a garage sale at our house.
• We enjoyed attending a hog roast/wedding reception for Aunt Joanna and Uncle Mike. Speaking of Aunt Joanna, please keep her and her family (Mike, her daughter Maggie, etc.) in your prayers. I won't share all of the gory details here, but her cancer has returned. This is her 4th bout with it (during a time period of about 3 1/2 years) and she's just 37-years-old.
• We recently said goodbye to our minister, Pastor Jack, as he retired and moved to spend more time with his grandkids.
• We've gotten in some family exercise this summer, via biking, 5Ks, and swimming.
• We are looking forward to visiting Grandma and Grandpa Reynolds this weekend.

No pictures today, but hope to share some softball pictures soon!